Had the sirocco (the south wind that brings Venice its worst floods) not unexpectedly dropped and shifted direction on December 1st, it would have been much worse. As it was, Europe's most fragile city this week suffered its severest incursion from the sea in 22 years. The water peaked at 156 centimetres above normal-the fourth-highest level since 1872. It brought the city's transport system to a halt and forced Venetians to put on thigh-high waders to move about.
展开▼
